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Guilty on All Counts; Italy may Withdraw Some Troops from Iraq in September; Courthouse Security
Aired March 15, 2005 - 14:01 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Guilty on all counts. The man who once headed a multibillion-dollar business empire could now spend the rest of his life in prison.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Shackled and 19 officers to secure the man accused in a courthouse shooting. Brian Nichols faces a courtroom for the first time since the rampage.
HARRIS: So just how did Nichols escape? Our CNN affiliate camera takes you inside the hallways of the Fulton County Courthouse for an insider's view.
PHILLIPS: Shoulder-fired missiles, rocket-propelled grenades, an arsenal of weapons. Were smugglers trying to put them in the hands of people in the U.S.?
From this CNN Center in Atlanta, I'm Kyra Phillips.
HARRIS: And I'm Tony Harris, in for Miles O'Brien.
This hour of CNN's LIVE FROM starts right now.
PHILLIPS: Fraud leading to scandal, leading to the largest corporate bankruptcy in U.S. history. A formula for disaster in the WorldCom case and now for the company's former CEO in particular.
A federal jury in New York today convicted Bernie Ebbers of fraud, conspiracy and filing false reports in the breathtaking collapse of what had been a telecom titan. CNN's Susan Lisovicz takes stock of today's events -- Susan.
SUSAN LISOVICZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Kyra, Bernie Ebbers had a classic rags to riches life story, and today's verdict is yet another dramatic chapter in that life. As you mentioned, he was found guilty on all nine counts, guilty of conspiracy, securities fraud, false filings to the Securities and Exchange Commission. This after the biggest corporate bankruptcy in U.S. history, $30 billion in debt, accounting fraud amounting to $11 billion.
This is a huge win for the government. Bernie Ebbers was considered in the league of Jeff Skilling and Ken Lay of Enron, Richard Scrushy of HealthSouth, Dennis Kozlowski of Tyco. And this was something that they had needed after several highly publicized setbacks.
Bernie Ebbers, according to reporters in the courtroom, sat with his hands folded, little reaction. He turned around to hug his wife, who was crying, as were other members of his family. Outside the courthouse, his family left, hailed a cab, without talking to reporters, but his reporter did talk to reporters and talked about his risky strategy to put Ebbers on the stand.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REID WEINGARTEN, EBBERS' ATTORNEY: The jury obviously worked very hard. There was a lot of evidence to consider. And I am very sad that they came out the way they did.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Did he insist on taking the stand? Was there any contradiction between you and Mr. Ebbers?
WEINGARTEN: I can't discuss with you my conversations with Mr. Ebbers. I thought it was an easy call to put him up, and I thought he did fine.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LISOVICZ: Reid Weingarten also said, "We're all devastated. It's very sad that it came out the way it did."
Since Mr. Ebbers is convicted on all nine counts, he could be sentenced to a maximum of 85 years in prison. He will turn 64 this August.
Kyra, back to you.
PHILLIPS: All right. Susan Lisovicz, thanks so much -- Tony.
HARRIS: And as reported just a couple minutes ago, Italy's premier, Silvio Berlusconi, has announced that Italy will start withdrawing itsr 3,000 troops from Iraq in September.
On the phone with us now is Rome bureau chief Alessio Vinci.
Alessio, what can you tell us about this?
ALESSIO VINCI, CNN ROME BUREAU CHIEF: Well, I just got some clarification from -- clarifications from a top government official who actually was with the prime minister when he gave this interview to a popular talk show here which will be aired later tonight. And basically what he said is that the Italian prime minister has begun discussing with his allies, i.e. the U.S. and the Iraqi government, the possibility -- and I stress the possibility that Italy could withdraw some of its troops only -- we're talking about a partial withdrawal here -- as early as September.
I asked the spokesman whether we will be seeing already troops leaving by that time. He said that's too early to say. What the prime minister really means is that he wants to make sure that people know that he has begun discussing the possibility that Italy could begin bringing home some of those troops.
Interesting to note, Tony, that the Italian parliament today actually voted and approved an extension of Italy's mandate in Iraq for another three months. Ever since the troops have been deployed there, the Italian government has voted every three months to extend the mission for another three months, so we're not talking about a move by the parliament forcing the prime minister to withdraw troops.
What we're talking about here, I believe, is that the prime minister is facing a tough reelection campaign in the spring of 2006. And therefore, the prime minister this fall wants to begin the political campaign by giving the Italians some positive news, if you want, and that is that this mission in Iraq is not open-ended but that the prime minister is already beginning to talk about the possible withdrawal of some troops in Iraq -- Tony.
HARRIS: Alessio, but, you know, the question is, is there any indication that this announcement today, the timing of this, has anything to do with the investigation that's ongoing now, including Italian officials and U.S. officials as well, over the events surrounding the release and the subsequent shooting of the journalist Giuliana Sgrena?
VINCI: I would not make that connection, Tony, because the Italian officials both publicly and privately when I spoke to them have been telling me that while they have been firm in requesting the United States open an investigation, a joint investigation into what happened with Giuliana Sgrena when she was released and one of her leaders was actually killed, they have been telling me that the Americans have shown a great deal of cooperation.
As a matter of fact, the Italian prime minister speaking in parliament also spoke about the great relationship the United States and Italy are having, or have had throughout this past few years. And I do not believe at this time that this announcement is connected to the fact that U.S. soldiers have killed an Italian secret agent.
I think it has more -- has more to do with internal politics, Tony. As I said earlier, there is an election coming up in the spring 2006. The ratings are not very well for the prime minister. And I think that he knows that a vast majority of the country is -- still remains against Italy's deployment in Iraq. And therefore, he wants to begin the political campaign on a positive note, at least on his end, on a positive note, telling Italians that this mission in Iraq is not open-ended.
HARRIS: CNN's Rome bureau chief Alessio Vinci on the phone with us. Alessio, thank you. Appreciate it.
A temple of justice now a sanctuary of sorrow and consolation. It's the Atlanta courthouse where a judge, court reporter and deputy were killed in the line of duty allegedly by a defendant who felt the system persecuted African-Americans. Today the friends and colleagues of Rowland Barnes, Julie Brandau and Hoyt Teasley share stories, hugs and tears in one of several such tributes in the aftermath of Friday's rampage.
The International Brotherhood of Police Officers holds a separate service this even for Teasley. Brandau's funeral is tomorrow. Brian Nichols is also accused of killing a Customs and Immigration agent at the end of a long day of eluding authorities. But none of those was a factor in his brief appearance this morning before a local magistrate in the Fulton County Jail. You heard me right, the jail.
Unlike Nichols' previous hearings and trials, this time the system came to him in a big way. Shackles and guards and extreme attention to detail were the order of the day.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHIEF MAGISTRATE FRANK COX, COBB COUNTY, GEORGIA: Mr. Nichols, out of abundance of caution, I'm going to readvise you of the rights that you probably have heard before. But as your counsel noted, you have a right to remain silent, and you have the right to have an attorney, which obviously you have two of them, sir. And you have a right to be counseled during all questioning.
You have a right to remain silent. That any statement made by you can be used as evidence at hearings or trials.
You have a right to indictment by the grand jury. And, of course, you've already been indicted by the grand jury. You have a right to a speedy trial and trial by jury.
You have a right to confront witnesses. You have a right to call witnesses on your behalf at no cost.
You have the presumption of innocence. And you -- with the charges facing against you, sir, you have a possible life imprisonment on rape, 20 years on aggravated assault with attempt to rape, 20 years on aggravated sodomy, 10 years on false imprisonment, 20 years on burglary, and five years on possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime. Those are the possible penalties you face on those charges, sir.
Anything else you wish to say or need to ask the court, Mr. Nichols?
BRIAN NICHOLS, DEFENDANT: Not at this time.
COX: All right, sir.
Anything else, Mr. Adams?
CHRIS ADAMS, PUBLIC DEFENDER: No, sir, your honor.
COX: Anything else from the state?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Your honor, yes. Just for the record, the state would like to make the defendant and counsel aware that the charges pending, the rape and other associated charges in indictment 04SC20576 (ph) are still pending and it's the state's understanding that the defendant remains in a no-bond status at this time. And we would like to give defendant and counsel notice that the state does intend at a later date to file formal charges against the defendant for the charge of murder against the honorable Rowland Barnes, murder against Julie Brandau, murder against Fulton County Sergeant Hoyt Teasley, the charge of murder against United States Immigrations and Customs officer Wilhelm, David Wilhelm, as well as the felony officials of escape and other appropriate charges. And those will be filed formally at a later date.
The state would like to inquire as to whether or not Mr. Adams and Mr. Parker are the counsel of record for the defendant at this time.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I am, your honor.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you.
COX: All right. Anything else?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Not from the state, your honor.
ADAMS: No, sir. Thank you.
COX: All right. That will conclude the hearing.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: Now, the charges you heard the magistrate speak of are those on which Nichols was being tried when he escaped.
PHILLIPS: Well, as you can imagine, there is a lot of second- guessing going on here in Atlanta about security procedures at the Fulton County Courthouse. And as officials recreate the terrifying events of Friday morning, what appears to be major lapses in security are coming to light.
Morse Diggs of CNN affiliate WAGA picks up that part of the story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MORSE DIGGS, REPORTER, WAGA (voice-over): Upstairs from where this memorial is displayed, the judges who sit in Fulton County are wondering if the death toll blamed on Brian Nichols could have been minimized or prevented altogether. The legal staff for murdered Judge Rowland Barnes made a secret call for help, but deputies over a span of 10 minute did not come running to their aid.
That revelation came during a security discussion led by Chief Doris Downs (ph) with all of the other judges and the district attorney.
(on camera): All of the courtroom have hidden silent alarms, as do the judges' offices. Now, I've been shown where those alarms are, but for reasons you'll understand, we're not going to show them to you. The question in this case is that for several minutes defendant Brian Nichols was running around Judge Barnes' office. This was before any of the shooting, and Judge Barnes' staff did activate one of those silent alarms.
LT. CLARENCE HUBER, FULTON COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPT.: Something -- something very bad did happen.
DIGGS (voice-over): We put the question "what happened" to the sheriff's spokesperson, but first, some background and new pictures.
(on camera): I want to show you how the trouble all began. This is a hallway here adjacent to a courtroom that leads to the prison elevator, the elevator you see right over there.
Now, Deputy Hall had to bring Nichols up on that elevator. And she did that in order to bring him over to a holding room. That area right there. The reason for that, that's where he changed his clothes.
Nichols was handcuffed. The deputy had to release the handcuffs. And as she did, he got his arm free and lunged at the deputy.
(voice-over): A security control deputy did not see the few seconds captured on video. Police say Nichols, who had gotten the deputy's gun, was loose. He terrorized the judge's staff while Barnes attended to a matter inside the courtroom.
(on camera): One more thing about the alarms. They have to go to a central location, somewhere to say we've got something that's not quite right in this section of the courthouse. Do we -- do we know what happened there on that end?
HUBER: We're going to determine what kind type of alarm it was. Was it an alarm activated with any particular room? Was it an alarm activated by radio?
DIGGS (voice-over): The facts, he says, still must be gathered.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PHILLIPS: Well, later this hour, hear what Ashley Smith, the woman allegedly held captive by Nichols, is saying about her ordeal right now.
HARRIS: They had enough fire power to do some serious damage.
PHILLIPS: More than a dozen men charged with trying to smuggle missiles into the United States and conspiring to put them in the hands of terrorists. It's a CNN "Security Watch" straight ahead.
HARRIS: And millions of Americans have bought this book, and it played a central role in a hostage situation. You'll meet the man and the message behind "The Purpose-Driven Life."
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: Shoulder-fired missiles and rocket-propelled grenades. Today comes word of a purported arms racket busted by the feds.
With the story from New York, CNN's Mary Snow.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MARY SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT: U.S. Attorney David Kelley announced 18 people have been charged with conspiring to smuggle weapons and sell Russian-style military weapons in the U.S. There were pictures demonstrated of shoulder-fired surface-to-air missiles and rocket-propelled grenades. Kelley stressed, though, that these were only in the discussion stages, that they did not enter the U.S. He said there were eight machineguns that were confiscated inside the U.S.
Kelley says that these pictures came from a Russian Web site. A confidential informant had been given the password to that Web site and that's how these pictures were obtained. Kelley believes that a potential pipeline to suspected terrorists was broken, although he says it is unclear who was the end user.
DAVID KELLEY, U.S. ATTORNEY: It appears that the defendants were planning to obtain the weaponry through contacts they had developed in eastern European military circles. We're now working with our counterparts overseas to secure the weapons and to bring to justice conspirators who may be abroad.
SNOW: The suspects are from various places, including the alleged ringleader, who is said to be from Armenia, another suspect from Georgia and Russia, although the FBI says there are no clear ties to any one group.
ANDY ARENA, FBI: These defendants may not have been terrorists themselves, but they have shown a transparent willingness to do anything with anybody so long as it generates income for their organization.
SNOW: The suspects were charged in New York, Florida and Los Angeles. They are set to be arraigned in the afternoon.
Mary Snow, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: And CNN is committed to providing the most reliable coverage of news that affects your security. Stay tuned to CNN for the latest information day and night.
PHILLIPS: "TIME" magazine calls him one of America's most influential pastors. About 20,000 people show up to hear "Purpose- Driven" Pastor Rick Warren speak at his church on any given Sunday. And his book becomes a central player in a hostage situation. We're going to go in depth just ahead.
Let's check on how stocks are doing right now, this Tuesday afternoon. Take a look at the Big Board, Dow Jones industrials down 26 points. More LIVE FROM after a break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: As we've been reporting for the last few minutes on LIVE FROM, Italy's prime minister Silvio Berlusconi said Italy is in discussion with its coalition partners about removing its 3,000 troops from Iraq in September. Now, just a few moments ago, White House spokesman Scott McClellan took a question on the subject.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SCOTT MCCLELLAN, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: And we certainly appreciate the contributions of the Italians. They have served and sacrificed alongside Iraqis and alongside other coalition forces.
Our focus remains on making sure that the Iraqi forces are fully trained and equipped and ready to assume more responsibility for their future. And that's where our focus will remain so that eventually our troops will be able to return home with honor.
QUESTION: How much of this reflects the tension between the United States and Italy over the shooting incident?
MCCLELLAN: I'm not sure I'd make a connection there. I don't view it the same way.
QUESTION: Is there a connection?
MCCLELLAN: No, not that I'm aware of.
QUESTION: No connection at all?
MCCLELLAN: I haven't heard any comment to that effect from Italian officials.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: OK. And that's White House spokesman Scott McClellan responding to news today that Italy's prime minister, Silvio Berlusconi, is in discussions with coalition partners about withdrawing Italy's 3,000 troops from Iraq in September. We'll continue to follow that story of course.
Now more about the woman who police say talked Atlanta shooting suspect Brian Nichols into giving himself up. Authorities say Nichols held Ashley Smith in her apartment for seven hours. Smith gave a brief emotional statement last night. Here it is.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ASHLEY SMITH, HELD HOSTAGE BY BRIAN SMITH: I want to thank everyone for their prayers and support over the last several days. I also want to extend my deepest sympathies to the families of Judge Barnes, Julie Ann Brandau, Deputy Teasley and Special Agent Wilhelm, as well as my prayers for Deputy Hall, who is fighting for her life right now in the hospital.
As I'm sure you can imagine, this event has been extremely difficult and exhausting for me and my extended family. I have experienced just about every emotion one can imagine in the span of just a few days.
Throughout my time with Mr. Nichols, I continued to rely on my faith in god. God has helped me through tough times before and he'll help me now.
I hope that you will respect my need to rest and to focus my immediate attention on helping legal authorities proceed with their various investigations. It's natural to focus on the conclusion of any story, but my role was really very small in the grand scheme of things. The real heroes are the judicial and law enforcement officials who gave their lives and those who risked their lives to bring this to an end.
Thank you for your prayers and may god bless you all.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: Well, the turning point in Smith's ordeal may have come when she read Nichols a chapter from "The Purpose-Driven Life."
CNN's Heidi Collins takes a closer look at the book and the beliefs behind it.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): He may not look like a superstar but he has the marquee value of one. Rick Warren is the hottest pastor in the country.
RICK WARREN, "THE PURPOSE-DRIVEN LIFE": Because it's not about you. It's all about God. And so you get full of pride and then you start falling for the same things that the world has been suckering everybody else for.
Let me tell you something. The easiest thing to do in the world is lose your focus. Most people are not purpose- driven. They're pressure-driven.
COLLINS: The 50-year-old Warren brought evangelism into the mainstream marketplace, all without a TV or radio ministry. He's done it with a book called "The Purpose-Driven Life," which has topped bestseller lists alongside "The Da Vinci Code" and "The South Beach Diet."
Warren calls it the anti-self-help book.
WARREN: People are looking for meaning in life. They're looking for purpose. We have way too much information in our world and too little meaning.
The thesis is that we were made by God and for God. And until we understand that, life isn't going to make sense. We're not going to know our purpose by looking within.
COLLINS: If people aren't looking within, they're clearly looking into Warren's message.
Every Sunday, as many as 20,000 people flock to his church in Southern California to hear him preach.
WARREN: It's time to grow up. You need to choose God.
COLLINS: And by the end of last year an estimated 30,000 churches used Warren's book in a campaign called "40 Days of Purpose."
WARREN: We have over 2,000 small groups in this church. You could start a small group in your home. You could be a leader there.
COLLINS: The question is, is he creating a blueprint for spiritual growth or just a massive marketing machine?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Three dollars, unless you're a first-timer, then it's free.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's my first time.
COLLINS: In booths outside his church and online, Warren sells Purpose-Driven journals, videotapes, music CDs, even clothing. "Got Purpose?" "Got Dough?" The stir the book has spawned has some publishing insiders scratching their heads.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Publishers never saw this coming. But even if they had seen it coming, there's very little they could have done to create this kind of marketing buzz.
COLLINS: But Warren, who calls himself a stealth evangelist, says he's not surprised by the success.
WARREN: This is becoming a catalyst that's helping church come alive. That happened not because of some overarching marketing or strategy. It happened because God decided to use it.
COLLINS: And Warren sees no signs of the purpose-driven movement letting up.
WARREN: I think there's a spiritual hunger in people. And I'm very optimistic about the future.
COLLINS: Spoken like a true believer.
Heidi Collins, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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Aired March 15, 2005 - 14:01 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Guilty on all counts. The man who once headed a multibillion-dollar business empire could now spend the rest of his life in prison.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Shackled and 19 officers to secure the man accused in a courthouse shooting. Brian Nichols faces a courtroom for the first time since the rampage.
HARRIS: So just how did Nichols escape? Our CNN affiliate camera takes you inside the hallways of the Fulton County Courthouse for an insider's view.
PHILLIPS: Shoulder-fired missiles, rocket-propelled grenades, an arsenal of weapons. Were smugglers trying to put them in the hands of people in the U.S.?
From this CNN Center in Atlanta, I'm Kyra Phillips.
HARRIS: And I'm Tony Harris, in for Miles O'Brien.
This hour of CNN's LIVE FROM starts right now.
PHILLIPS: Fraud leading to scandal, leading to the largest corporate bankruptcy in U.S. history. A formula for disaster in the WorldCom case and now for the company's former CEO in particular.
A federal jury in New York today convicted Bernie Ebbers of fraud, conspiracy and filing false reports in the breathtaking collapse of what had been a telecom titan. CNN's Susan Lisovicz takes stock of today's events -- Susan.
SUSAN LISOVICZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Kyra, Bernie Ebbers had a classic rags to riches life story, and today's verdict is yet another dramatic chapter in that life. As you mentioned, he was found guilty on all nine counts, guilty of conspiracy, securities fraud, false filings to the Securities and Exchange Commission. This after the biggest corporate bankruptcy in U.S. history, $30 billion in debt, accounting fraud amounting to $11 billion.
This is a huge win for the government. Bernie Ebbers was considered in the league of Jeff Skilling and Ken Lay of Enron, Richard Scrushy of HealthSouth, Dennis Kozlowski of Tyco. And this was something that they had needed after several highly publicized setbacks.
Bernie Ebbers, according to reporters in the courtroom, sat with his hands folded, little reaction. He turned around to hug his wife, who was crying, as were other members of his family. Outside the courthouse, his family left, hailed a cab, without talking to reporters, but his reporter did talk to reporters and talked about his risky strategy to put Ebbers on the stand.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REID WEINGARTEN, EBBERS' ATTORNEY: The jury obviously worked very hard. There was a lot of evidence to consider. And I am very sad that they came out the way they did.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Did he insist on taking the stand? Was there any contradiction between you and Mr. Ebbers?
WEINGARTEN: I can't discuss with you my conversations with Mr. Ebbers. I thought it was an easy call to put him up, and I thought he did fine.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LISOVICZ: Reid Weingarten also said, "We're all devastated. It's very sad that it came out the way it did."
Since Mr. Ebbers is convicted on all nine counts, he could be sentenced to a maximum of 85 years in prison. He will turn 64 this August.
Kyra, back to you.
PHILLIPS: All right. Susan Lisovicz, thanks so much -- Tony.
HARRIS: And as reported just a couple minutes ago, Italy's premier, Silvio Berlusconi, has announced that Italy will start withdrawing itsr 3,000 troops from Iraq in September.
On the phone with us now is Rome bureau chief Alessio Vinci.
Alessio, what can you tell us about this?
ALESSIO VINCI, CNN ROME BUREAU CHIEF: Well, I just got some clarification from -- clarifications from a top government official who actually was with the prime minister when he gave this interview to a popular talk show here which will be aired later tonight. And basically what he said is that the Italian prime minister has begun discussing with his allies, i.e. the U.S. and the Iraqi government, the possibility -- and I stress the possibility that Italy could withdraw some of its troops only -- we're talking about a partial withdrawal here -- as early as September.
I asked the spokesman whether we will be seeing already troops leaving by that time. He said that's too early to say. What the prime minister really means is that he wants to make sure that people know that he has begun discussing the possibility that Italy could begin bringing home some of those troops.
Interesting to note, Tony, that the Italian parliament today actually voted and approved an extension of Italy's mandate in Iraq for another three months. Ever since the troops have been deployed there, the Italian government has voted every three months to extend the mission for another three months, so we're not talking about a move by the parliament forcing the prime minister to withdraw troops.
What we're talking about here, I believe, is that the prime minister is facing a tough reelection campaign in the spring of 2006. And therefore, the prime minister this fall wants to begin the political campaign by giving the Italians some positive news, if you want, and that is that this mission in Iraq is not open-ended but that the prime minister is already beginning to talk about the possible withdrawal of some troops in Iraq -- Tony.
HARRIS: Alessio, but, you know, the question is, is there any indication that this announcement today, the timing of this, has anything to do with the investigation that's ongoing now, including Italian officials and U.S. officials as well, over the events surrounding the release and the subsequent shooting of the journalist Giuliana Sgrena?
VINCI: I would not make that connection, Tony, because the Italian officials both publicly and privately when I spoke to them have been telling me that while they have been firm in requesting the United States open an investigation, a joint investigation into what happened with Giuliana Sgrena when she was released and one of her leaders was actually killed, they have been telling me that the Americans have shown a great deal of cooperation.
As a matter of fact, the Italian prime minister speaking in parliament also spoke about the great relationship the United States and Italy are having, or have had throughout this past few years. And I do not believe at this time that this announcement is connected to the fact that U.S. soldiers have killed an Italian secret agent.
I think it has more -- has more to do with internal politics, Tony. As I said earlier, there is an election coming up in the spring 2006. The ratings are not very well for the prime minister. And I think that he knows that a vast majority of the country is -- still remains against Italy's deployment in Iraq. And therefore, he wants to begin the political campaign on a positive note, at least on his end, on a positive note, telling Italians that this mission in Iraq is not open-ended.
HARRIS: CNN's Rome bureau chief Alessio Vinci on the phone with us. Alessio, thank you. Appreciate it.
A temple of justice now a sanctuary of sorrow and consolation. It's the Atlanta courthouse where a judge, court reporter and deputy were killed in the line of duty allegedly by a defendant who felt the system persecuted African-Americans. Today the friends and colleagues of Rowland Barnes, Julie Brandau and Hoyt Teasley share stories, hugs and tears in one of several such tributes in the aftermath of Friday's rampage.
The International Brotherhood of Police Officers holds a separate service this even for Teasley. Brandau's funeral is tomorrow. Brian Nichols is also accused of killing a Customs and Immigration agent at the end of a long day of eluding authorities. But none of those was a factor in his brief appearance this morning before a local magistrate in the Fulton County Jail. You heard me right, the jail.
Unlike Nichols' previous hearings and trials, this time the system came to him in a big way. Shackles and guards and extreme attention to detail were the order of the day.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHIEF MAGISTRATE FRANK COX, COBB COUNTY, GEORGIA: Mr. Nichols, out of abundance of caution, I'm going to readvise you of the rights that you probably have heard before. But as your counsel noted, you have a right to remain silent, and you have the right to have an attorney, which obviously you have two of them, sir. And you have a right to be counseled during all questioning.
You have a right to remain silent. That any statement made by you can be used as evidence at hearings or trials.
You have a right to indictment by the grand jury. And, of course, you've already been indicted by the grand jury. You have a right to a speedy trial and trial by jury.
You have a right to confront witnesses. You have a right to call witnesses on your behalf at no cost.
You have the presumption of innocence. And you -- with the charges facing against you, sir, you have a possible life imprisonment on rape, 20 years on aggravated assault with attempt to rape, 20 years on aggravated sodomy, 10 years on false imprisonment, 20 years on burglary, and five years on possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime. Those are the possible penalties you face on those charges, sir.
Anything else you wish to say or need to ask the court, Mr. Nichols?
BRIAN NICHOLS, DEFENDANT: Not at this time.
COX: All right, sir.
Anything else, Mr. Adams?
CHRIS ADAMS, PUBLIC DEFENDER: No, sir, your honor.
COX: Anything else from the state?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Your honor, yes. Just for the record, the state would like to make the defendant and counsel aware that the charges pending, the rape and other associated charges in indictment 04SC20576 (ph) are still pending and it's the state's understanding that the defendant remains in a no-bond status at this time. And we would like to give defendant and counsel notice that the state does intend at a later date to file formal charges against the defendant for the charge of murder against the honorable Rowland Barnes, murder against Julie Brandau, murder against Fulton County Sergeant Hoyt Teasley, the charge of murder against United States Immigrations and Customs officer Wilhelm, David Wilhelm, as well as the felony officials of escape and other appropriate charges. And those will be filed formally at a later date.
The state would like to inquire as to whether or not Mr. Adams and Mr. Parker are the counsel of record for the defendant at this time.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I am, your honor.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you.
COX: All right. Anything else?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Not from the state, your honor.
ADAMS: No, sir. Thank you.
COX: All right. That will conclude the hearing.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: Now, the charges you heard the magistrate speak of are those on which Nichols was being tried when he escaped.
PHILLIPS: Well, as you can imagine, there is a lot of second- guessing going on here in Atlanta about security procedures at the Fulton County Courthouse. And as officials recreate the terrifying events of Friday morning, what appears to be major lapses in security are coming to light.
Morse Diggs of CNN affiliate WAGA picks up that part of the story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MORSE DIGGS, REPORTER, WAGA (voice-over): Upstairs from where this memorial is displayed, the judges who sit in Fulton County are wondering if the death toll blamed on Brian Nichols could have been minimized or prevented altogether. The legal staff for murdered Judge Rowland Barnes made a secret call for help, but deputies over a span of 10 minute did not come running to their aid.
That revelation came during a security discussion led by Chief Doris Downs (ph) with all of the other judges and the district attorney.
(on camera): All of the courtroom have hidden silent alarms, as do the judges' offices. Now, I've been shown where those alarms are, but for reasons you'll understand, we're not going to show them to you. The question in this case is that for several minutes defendant Brian Nichols was running around Judge Barnes' office. This was before any of the shooting, and Judge Barnes' staff did activate one of those silent alarms.
LT. CLARENCE HUBER, FULTON COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPT.: Something -- something very bad did happen.
DIGGS (voice-over): We put the question "what happened" to the sheriff's spokesperson, but first, some background and new pictures.
(on camera): I want to show you how the trouble all began. This is a hallway here adjacent to a courtroom that leads to the prison elevator, the elevator you see right over there.
Now, Deputy Hall had to bring Nichols up on that elevator. And she did that in order to bring him over to a holding room. That area right there. The reason for that, that's where he changed his clothes.
Nichols was handcuffed. The deputy had to release the handcuffs. And as she did, he got his arm free and lunged at the deputy.
(voice-over): A security control deputy did not see the few seconds captured on video. Police say Nichols, who had gotten the deputy's gun, was loose. He terrorized the judge's staff while Barnes attended to a matter inside the courtroom.
(on camera): One more thing about the alarms. They have to go to a central location, somewhere to say we've got something that's not quite right in this section of the courthouse. Do we -- do we know what happened there on that end?
HUBER: We're going to determine what kind type of alarm it was. Was it an alarm activated with any particular room? Was it an alarm activated by radio?
DIGGS (voice-over): The facts, he says, still must be gathered.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PHILLIPS: Well, later this hour, hear what Ashley Smith, the woman allegedly held captive by Nichols, is saying about her ordeal right now.
HARRIS: They had enough fire power to do some serious damage.
PHILLIPS: More than a dozen men charged with trying to smuggle missiles into the United States and conspiring to put them in the hands of terrorists. It's a CNN "Security Watch" straight ahead.
HARRIS: And millions of Americans have bought this book, and it played a central role in a hostage situation. You'll meet the man and the message behind "The Purpose-Driven Life."
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HARRIS: Shoulder-fired missiles and rocket-propelled grenades. Today comes word of a purported arms racket busted by the feds.
With the story from New York, CNN's Mary Snow.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MARY SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT: U.S. Attorney David Kelley announced 18 people have been charged with conspiring to smuggle weapons and sell Russian-style military weapons in the U.S. There were pictures demonstrated of shoulder-fired surface-to-air missiles and rocket-propelled grenades. Kelley stressed, though, that these were only in the discussion stages, that they did not enter the U.S. He said there were eight machineguns that were confiscated inside the U.S.
Kelley says that these pictures came from a Russian Web site. A confidential informant had been given the password to that Web site and that's how these pictures were obtained. Kelley believes that a potential pipeline to suspected terrorists was broken, although he says it is unclear who was the end user.
DAVID KELLEY, U.S. ATTORNEY: It appears that the defendants were planning to obtain the weaponry through contacts they had developed in eastern European military circles. We're now working with our counterparts overseas to secure the weapons and to bring to justice conspirators who may be abroad.
SNOW: The suspects are from various places, including the alleged ringleader, who is said to be from Armenia, another suspect from Georgia and Russia, although the FBI says there are no clear ties to any one group.
ANDY ARENA, FBI: These defendants may not have been terrorists themselves, but they have shown a transparent willingness to do anything with anybody so long as it generates income for their organization.
SNOW: The suspects were charged in New York, Florida and Los Angeles. They are set to be arraigned in the afternoon.
Mary Snow, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: And CNN is committed to providing the most reliable coverage of news that affects your security. Stay tuned to CNN for the latest information day and night.
PHILLIPS: "TIME" magazine calls him one of America's most influential pastors. About 20,000 people show up to hear "Purpose- Driven" Pastor Rick Warren speak at his church on any given Sunday. And his book becomes a central player in a hostage situation. We're going to go in depth just ahead.
Let's check on how stocks are doing right now, this Tuesday afternoon. Take a look at the Big Board, Dow Jones industrials down 26 points. More LIVE FROM after a break.
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HARRIS: As we've been reporting for the last few minutes on LIVE FROM, Italy's prime minister Silvio Berlusconi said Italy is in discussion with its coalition partners about removing its 3,000 troops from Iraq in September. Now, just a few moments ago, White House spokesman Scott McClellan took a question on the subject.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SCOTT MCCLELLAN, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: And we certainly appreciate the contributions of the Italians. They have served and sacrificed alongside Iraqis and alongside other coalition forces.
Our focus remains on making sure that the Iraqi forces are fully trained and equipped and ready to assume more responsibility for their future. And that's where our focus will remain so that eventually our troops will be able to return home with honor.
QUESTION: How much of this reflects the tension between the United States and Italy over the shooting incident?
MCCLELLAN: I'm not sure I'd make a connection there. I don't view it the same way.
QUESTION: Is there a connection?
MCCLELLAN: No, not that I'm aware of.
QUESTION: No connection at all?
MCCLELLAN: I haven't heard any comment to that effect from Italian officials.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: OK. And that's White House spokesman Scott McClellan responding to news today that Italy's prime minister, Silvio Berlusconi, is in discussions with coalition partners about withdrawing Italy's 3,000 troops from Iraq in September. We'll continue to follow that story of course.
Now more about the woman who police say talked Atlanta shooting suspect Brian Nichols into giving himself up. Authorities say Nichols held Ashley Smith in her apartment for seven hours. Smith gave a brief emotional statement last night. Here it is.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ASHLEY SMITH, HELD HOSTAGE BY BRIAN SMITH: I want to thank everyone for their prayers and support over the last several days. I also want to extend my deepest sympathies to the families of Judge Barnes, Julie Ann Brandau, Deputy Teasley and Special Agent Wilhelm, as well as my prayers for Deputy Hall, who is fighting for her life right now in the hospital.
As I'm sure you can imagine, this event has been extremely difficult and exhausting for me and my extended family. I have experienced just about every emotion one can imagine in the span of just a few days.
Throughout my time with Mr. Nichols, I continued to rely on my faith in god. God has helped me through tough times before and he'll help me now.
I hope that you will respect my need to rest and to focus my immediate attention on helping legal authorities proceed with their various investigations. It's natural to focus on the conclusion of any story, but my role was really very small in the grand scheme of things. The real heroes are the judicial and law enforcement officials who gave their lives and those who risked their lives to bring this to an end.
Thank you for your prayers and may god bless you all.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: Well, the turning point in Smith's ordeal may have come when she read Nichols a chapter from "The Purpose-Driven Life."
CNN's Heidi Collins takes a closer look at the book and the beliefs behind it.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): He may not look like a superstar but he has the marquee value of one. Rick Warren is the hottest pastor in the country.
RICK WARREN, "THE PURPOSE-DRIVEN LIFE": Because it's not about you. It's all about God. And so you get full of pride and then you start falling for the same things that the world has been suckering everybody else for.
Let me tell you something. The easiest thing to do in the world is lose your focus. Most people are not purpose- driven. They're pressure-driven.
COLLINS: The 50-year-old Warren brought evangelism into the mainstream marketplace, all without a TV or radio ministry. He's done it with a book called "The Purpose-Driven Life," which has topped bestseller lists alongside "The Da Vinci Code" and "The South Beach Diet."
Warren calls it the anti-self-help book.
WARREN: People are looking for meaning in life. They're looking for purpose. We have way too much information in our world and too little meaning.
The thesis is that we were made by God and for God. And until we understand that, life isn't going to make sense. We're not going to know our purpose by looking within.
COLLINS: If people aren't looking within, they're clearly looking into Warren's message.
Every Sunday, as many as 20,000 people flock to his church in Southern California to hear him preach.
WARREN: It's time to grow up. You need to choose God.
COLLINS: And by the end of last year an estimated 30,000 churches used Warren's book in a campaign called "40 Days of Purpose."
WARREN: We have over 2,000 small groups in this church. You could start a small group in your home. You could be a leader there.
COLLINS: The question is, is he creating a blueprint for spiritual growth or just a massive marketing machine?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Three dollars, unless you're a first-timer, then it's free.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's my first time.
COLLINS: In booths outside his church and online, Warren sells Purpose-Driven journals, videotapes, music CDs, even clothing. "Got Purpose?" "Got Dough?" The stir the book has spawned has some publishing insiders scratching their heads.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Publishers never saw this coming. But even if they had seen it coming, there's very little they could have done to create this kind of marketing buzz.
COLLINS: But Warren, who calls himself a stealth evangelist, says he's not surprised by the success.
WARREN: This is becoming a catalyst that's helping church come alive. That happened not because of some overarching marketing or strategy. It happened because God decided to use it.
COLLINS: And Warren sees no signs of the purpose-driven movement letting up.
WARREN: I think there's a spiritual hunger in people. And I'm very optimistic about the future.
COLLINS: Spoken like a true believer.
Heidi Collins, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
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